This year’s Huong Pagoda Festival in the suburban area of Ha Noi welcomed approximately 1.4 million tourists, up 6,000 from the same period last year and including about 7,800 foreign visitors, according to the People’s Committee of My Duc district.
The district has earned nearly 175 billion VND from ticket sales, the committee announced at a conference on June 14 to review the organisation of the biggest and longest festival in Viet Nam that lasts through three spring months.
The organising board has increased inspection around the Huong Pagoda to prevent any activity having bad effects on the religious space while vendors were banned from setting up shops or booths near worship areas, like pagodas, temples, shrines and caves.
Inspection groups have seized over 300 books with superstition contents, 120 pirate discs, 450 illegal toy guns, six fortune telling advertisement signs and ten illegal advertisement banners in the festival areas. They also suspended operation of unlicensed traditional medical clinics.
Good security and improved traffic in both road and waterway have given visitors better experience. Local police have detained ten people for illegal soliciting travellers to buy goods or use services and fined 32 others for boat overloading or not having a garbage container on their boats.
Vice Chairman of the district People’s Committee Nguyen Van Hau vowed for the district to keep up such good works during the coming festivals.
The district is asking the Prime Minister’s approval to recognise the Huong Son relic site as a national special relic.